


Get Your Hands Off My Apples

by DanielleItLouderNow



Category: Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-02 01:25:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17255015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanielleItLouderNow/pseuds/DanielleItLouderNow
Summary: How does Gabrielle feel during Animal Attraction? Well, I imagine it's something like this...





	Get Your Hands Off My Apples

**Author's Note:**

> I can't sleep, so happy new year I guess?

She desperately needed to blow off some steam. No, not just a little steam, like the way a kettle boils over a fire. This was a raging inferno, threatening to consume her if she didn't expend her energy post haste.

In the past, before strange events had taken place, Gabrielle had been known to practice her staff fighting skills on a tree. 

But that was before.

Before Ephiny was killed and Gabrielle had to become Queen.

Before a mouthy girl who severely underestimated her pushed her buttons in a way she never expected.

Before the peace treaty made with Brutus. Caesar was sure to torch it, but she was successful, even if momentarily.

And still yet, before she died.

Again.

And before she had given up the way of a warrior for the way of love, only to choose her own path of friendship, opting to save Xena rather than watch her die at the hands of Romans, ultimately sealing their fate foretold in Xena's vision.

Then there was the whole business of Heaven and Hell Gabrielle would rather not think on.

Coming back to life.

One would think after some many times of doing it, it would begin to feel trite, but no.

Because this time, for the first time in as long as Gabrielle could remember, she became the protector. She guarded Xena with her all and fought valiantly to keep Xena safe. Only to be treated like a child when Mavican came around. That really pissed her off.

It was only after Ares began to show interest in her that Xena finally recognized that Gabrielle was no longer the little bard from Potedaia, but rather, a full grown Amazon Queen.

Nearly all of that she could forgive. But somehow she just couldn't believe the words coming from Xena's mouth.

"Pregnant," she heard herself say. Stutter. Gasp. All synonyms of surprise one could think of would not even begin to describe the feeling ripping through Gabrielle.

Surprise, yes, but a great many other feelings too. Hurt. Betrayal. Disbelief. Humor.

Love.

That one didn't really surprise her, per se, so much as sneak up on her and whack her over the head, her heart taking her completely hostage.

And if there was one thing Gabrielle did not enjoy, it was being taken hostage.

It stung a little that Xena had chosen to tell her along with the others, but she supposed she could understand. After that, everything kind of went to Tartarus in a hand basket and Gabrielle could not focus for anything.

She'd approached the two men in alley with the intention of eliminating a couple of bad guys and taking out some rage in the process. Calling out, "hey boys," she felt the smirk on her face when the men assumed she couldn't be much of a threat. Until she threw a left hook at asshole number one. Gabrielle knew she hit hard, but with the reinforcement from her sais, her fists were downright furious. The fighting had become somewhat monotonous, punch punch here, roundhouse there, slash slash stab. She found her mind wandering back to Xena and became concerned for her safety, her heart swelling with pride recalling with great clarity when the warrior had fought off an entire army to save her. That was how she found herself wrapped in the arms of asshole number two, unable to move her arms. With limited options, she used the strength in her legs to climb up the wall and vault over his head, twisting quickly and executing a near perfect side kick to his gut. She stood straight as he tumbled through the alley and began to search for Xena. 

She'd be damned if she would let anything happen to her, now or ever.

"Son of a bacchae!" Asshole number one had gotten a lucky shot and the bastard had made her bounce her head off a crate. That was gonna hurt in the morning. Before she could begin to think clearly, Amarice and Armon came barreling in from Zeus knows where to save her sorry hide, clearly too distracted to notice some lackey headed to the barn.

After the day Gabrielle had had, nay, the month, there was no way in Tartarus she was going to let anything happen to Handsome, that damn horse, not after he finally started to trust her.

She had to suppress her sarcastic instinct when the man who smelled closely of pig slop asked her if she had a pony tricked out with bows. And wouldn't you know it, that "pony" crashed through the barn doors and trampled pigslopkey (she'd think of a better name later), kicking him into next week.

Bad guys defeated, town saved, Xena and Gabrielle began to move on, traveling back to Greece.

Thank the Gods.

She only prayed that with two horses, now they'd be able to finally lose Joxer somewhere on the road. That man had the strangest habit of turning up at the oddest times and Gabrielle did not have the patience to deal with his puppy-dog eyes anymore that week. She had enough of her own emotional turmoil to work through without worrying about trampling on Joxer's feelings. Thankfully, he opted to give the women some privacy (Gabrielle throwing her bruised apples at his head probably helped to convince him) and the women began making their way to the Northern Amazon tribe.

Camped about a day's ride from the tribe, Gabrielle tried in vain to focus on something, anything, to take her mind off of Xena's...condition, and subsequently her own feelings. Her scrolls were not enough to take her mind off of her strange predicament, nor was sharpening her Sais (not that they needed it, she kept them deadly and gleaming). She began to pace and longed for simpler times, before she became worldly, before she knew anything beyond a simple farm life.

Before Xena.

But it was beginning to become harder and harder to remember a time when there was no Xena in her life, she'd become that important to her. Xena was the first sight she saw when she woke up and the last thing she thought of before Morpheus claimed her. It was rare the two weren't together, both becoming a fixture in one another's lives as easily Spring fades into Summer when one isn't paying attention. Xena was constantly challenging Gabrielle to be smarter, act faster, become stronger, while similarly Gabrielle tempered Xena, glimpsing a gentler side of the warrior few were given the option of knowing. And somewhere along the way of challenging Xena to love, Gabrielle herself had fallen prey its power. She'd have to have a long, long conversation with Aphrodite later, but for now...

Gabrielle blew out a long sigh, plunking down onto a log and dropping her head into her hands. She tried to focus on her breathing but felt eyes on her.

She looked between the gaps in her fingers to see Xena across the fire, sharpening her sword, eyebrow raised appraisingly.

Gabrielle narrowed her eyes in response, her own eyebrow cocking in question. "Something on your mind?" She quipped.

Xena feigned disinterest and went back to sharpening her sword.

"Don't do that," Gabrielle huffed.

"Do what?" Xena's uncanny ability to project absolute nonchalance and innocence was becoming increasingly irksome to Gabrielle.

"Don't stare at me and then pretend like you're not thinking something," she snarked.

The steady sssccchhhhiiiiiiiickkkk sssccchhhhiiiiiiiickkkk of Xena's whetstone came to an abrupt halt as Xena began to assess Gabrielle again.

She could feel her head begin to pound and her shoulders tensed under Xena's scrutiny. She reached up and began to rub her neck while waiting for Xena to finish her appraisal.

"Gabrielle," Xena began slowly. Her heart began to hammer. It was always something about the way Xena said her name, always fully, always Gabrielle. It felt better than silk caressing her flesh, the way her name fell from those beautiful lips. She caught herself staring and forced herself to meet Xena's gaze, but not before she noticed a small smirk on those deliciously tempting lips. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"No," she started and immediately regretted the lie. "Yes." Xena's gaze remained calm and open, encouraging Gabrielle to continue.

Those beautiful, mesmerizing blue eyes that held all the tenderness and love Gabrielle could ever hope for.

Ares be damned, she was not going to spend one more day regretting her choices, her feelings, all that lead her here, to this moment.

Her gaze never leaving Xena's, Gabrielle stood and crossed the camp slowly, intentionally, giving both of them plenty of time to break whatever reverie they had fallen into. Xena's eyes never wavered, if anything, they began to look hopeful.

Gabrielle reached out and caressed Xena's cheek with the lightest of touches. "I love you," she whispered, before bending slightly to kiss the warrior. Just a slight brushing of lips but it held the promise of so much tenderness, such love and affection and the chance to grow into something together, rather than separate.

Xena's eyes slowly fluttered open, her face upturned to gaze fully on Gabrielle. She smiled that dazzling smile of hers before planting a quick peck to the corner of Gabrielle's mouth. "Good," she said, and picked up her sword to continue sharpening.

Gabrielle's jaw dropped in utter disbelief. "Good? Xena, I just told you I love you and all you have to say is 'good?'" Gabrielle began chewing on her bottom lip as disappointment and rage warred within her. Shaking her head, she turned to bury herself in her bedroll when she felt a hand grasp her wrist.

"A baby's gotta have a daddy, doesn't it?" Xena offered in that cocky, sarcastic way of hers. The look on Gabrielle's face must have said it all because Xena quickly backpedaled, her face changing from arrogant to tender in less than an instant. "I love you, too, Gabrielle."

Tugging on Xena's hand, Gabrielle pulled her to the bedrolls. It had been a long day and fighting off weariness was not at the top her list. If she was feeling it, she couldn't imagine how Xena felt.

They were nearly asleep when Gabrielle's eyes flew open and she punched Xena in the shoulder.

"OW! What in Zeus' name was that for," Xena grumbled, rubbing her shoulder indignantly.

"'Baby's gotta have a daddy'? Xena, are you calling me butch?"

In lieu of an answer, Xena ripped the blankets up over her shoulder and rolled away, tearing them away from Gabrielle in the process.


End file.
